BattleTech: Flashpoint Release Date Announced, Pre-orders Open

The upcoming Flashpoint expansion for Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech now has a release date. Barring any delays, it should go live on November 27, 2018, offering you roughly 30 hours of new content that will include new mechs, missions, and encounters.

If you’re interested, you can pre-order the expansion on Steam for $19.99 or your regional equivalent, or grab it as part of the season pass for $49.99. The latter will give you access to Flashpoint, the Urban Warfare expansion slated for summer 2019, and a yet unannounced expansion further down the line.

If you’d like to learn a bit more about this expansion, here’s Harebrained Schemes’ Mitch Gitelman with an overview:

And here’s the official description:

BATTLETECH’s first-ever expansion adds new gameplay, depth, and over 30 hours of new content to your mercenary experience. Introducing Flashpoints: high-stakes, branching short stories that link together mercenary missions, crew conversations, special events, critical choices, and rare bonus rewards to take BATTLETECH’s endgame and Career-Mode gameplay to the next level.

Flashpoints embroil you in the feuds and machinations of the various Great Houses of the Inner Sphere, and are designed to keep even the most hardened mercenary commanders on their toes. In addition to narrative twists and turns, some Flashpoint stories feature consecutive deployments in which players can’t repair or heal between missions, while others feature infiltration contracts that restrict the tonnage of deployable BattleMechs.

Beyond adding over 30 hours of exciting Flashpoints to BATTLETECH, this expansion comes complete with three new ‘Mechs (including the highly anticipated Hatchetman), a challenging new mission type, and a new tropical biome for the biggest and most challenging BATTLETECH experience yet.

FLASHPOINTS

Here’s just a few examples of the many new stories and challenges you’ll face as a mercenary commander in Flashpoint:

Extracurricular Activities

The petty squabbling of political rivals takes a deadly turn when civilians are caught in the crossfire. Will you escort them to safety at the risk of your MechWarriors and their ‘Mechs… even if they can’t pay?

Criminal Minds

The routine capture of a criminal syndicate’s warehouse uncovers the resting place of an ancient BattleMech. Will you share this information with your employer or keep the ‘Mech for yourself?

Headhunting

The Zhao twins are a thorn in the side of your employer and it’s time to terminate their command. But when their forces are routed and the siblings flee in two directions you’ll need to choose which commander – and which unique salvage – you’ll pursue.

NEW BATTLEMECHS

Expand your ‘Mech arsenal with the armor-chopping power of the Hatchetman, the speed and versatility of the Crab, and the battle-computer-equipped Cyclops.

NEW ENCOUNTER

Target Acquisition is an exciting new mission type that challenges you to put your light and medium ‘Mechs to the test. Take control of three locations to triangulate fire on an enemy installation before time runs out.

NEW BIOME

Take the fight to all-new lush, tropical environments – but watch out for the spore clouds (or use them to your advantage!)